Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen
Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen (真マジンガー　衝撃！　Ｚ編) is a new Mazinger anime TV series announced officially in 2009. Several rumors had been running before that since 2007. Most of the rumors pointed out that this series would be an adaptation of the manga Z Mazinger, a derivative of the original Mazinger Z which takes Greek mythologies. The series was expected in 2008, but problems with the original studio, Palm Studio, which was dissolved, caused a long delay the series. On February 22 2009, some Japanese sites released scans of an advance copy of the magazine Figure-O #133 that showed several images of the new series. Prior to that Nagai had said in several conferences that he was working in a new Mazinger series, but it was not until the publishing of those pictures that the official announcement was made. Several characters of the original Mazinger Z series return to this installment. It is suspected, however, that the series will be a remake which combines elements from the Z Mazinger manga and from other Mazinger series. Characters * Koji Kabuto - The protagonist of the story. After the death of his parents, Koji works hard as the 'Mother Hen' to the surviving members of his family - his brother Shiro, and his grandfather Juzo. Koji has a high regard for his grandfather, whose patented inventions were the source of the Kabuto family's income and shows zero tolerance to anyone who ever insults his grandfather. During the primary attack of Ashura Corps., Koji becomes the pilot of his grandfather's greatest invention - the Super Robot Mazinger Z. * Shiro Kabuto - Koji's younger brother. * Juzo Kabuto - Koji's grandfather. Known as a great inventor in addition as the man who discovered the Japanium Ore, which lead to the creation of the Photon Energy and Super-Alloy Z (a metal alloy that is stronger than any other metal known to man). Also the creator of Mazinger Z. * Sayaka Yumi - The daughter of Professor Yumi. She pilots Aphrodai A, a female robot. * Gennosuke Yumi - Sayaka's father, a renowned professor of mechanics, and head of the Photon Power Labs. * Boss - Renowned leader of all the high-school delinquents in Japan. He comes to Atami village because it's the only area in Japan without a gang leader. * Tsubasa Nishikiori - Head Mistress of the Kurogane House, a spa in Atami. She and her staff has a mysterious connection with the Kabuto family as well as vast knowledge about Dr. Hell and the Mycenaeans. Tsubasa originally appears in Violence Jack. * Inspector Keiji Ankokuji - A detective who serves to investigate the Kabuto family and later is given orders to protect them. He also serves as a comic relief to the series. In the first episode (which occurs in media res) he is shown to be partnered with the robot doll Gamia Q3, who he calls his "honey". * Baron Ashura - Dr. Hell's right hand, Baron Ashura is a half-man, half-woman combination. He/she commands the Ashura Corps, one of the divisions of Dr. Hell's army. * Count Brocken - Another loyal servant of Dr. Hell. Brocken is a German cyborg whose head is completely separated from his body. He commands the Air Division of Dr. Hell's army. * Viscount Pygman - Third servant of Dr. Hell, a pygmy warrior with a series of bizarre physical abilities. He takes the form of Jim Mazinger, a character from Violence Jack. Pygman has high regards towards Baron Ashura, and shows his support in Episode 8 when he rescued Ashura from the team of Koji and Tsubasa, and again in Episode 9 as Ashura was punished by Dr. Hell for failing to defeat Mazinger Z numerous times. * Dr. Hell - Koji's archnemesis. He, along with Juzo Kabuto, discovered Bardos Island, home of the ancient Mycenaean‏s. A mad scientist, Dr. Hell uses the technology of the Mycenaeans to build his army of giant robots in a campaign for world domination. To achieve this, he seeks the technology being developed at the Photon Power Lab. * Archduke Gorgon - In the original series, he leads the Mycenaeans against both Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger. His role in the series is not yet fully known. * General Ankoku - General of the Mycenaean Army. He appears in front of a stunned Koji Kabuto at the very opening of the series. In the original Mazinger Z series, he successfully defeated Mazinger Z in battle as his own army is superior to Dr. Hell's, but was defeated later by Great Mazinger. Ankoku Daishogun also appears in Mazinkaiser as the main antagonist after the fall of Dr. Hell. His role in the series is not yet fully known. *'The Kurogane Five' - Staff members of the Kurogane House. They once lived violent lives (gangsters, assassins, etc) until they met Tsubasa, who saved them from death (or near-death) as a result of their situations. Reborn again, they swore unwavering loyalty to Tsubasa and vowed to serve and protect her, as well as the Kabuto family, with their lives. The Kurogane Five are loosely based on characters who appear in other works of Go Nagai, most notably Violence Jack and the Abashiri Family. The members of the Kurogane Five are: :*'Cross' - He is the Head Clerk of the Kurogane House and Tsubasa's right-hand man. Cross provides vital information to Tsubasa regarding the incidents surrounding Atami. He is known to show incredible strength and resilience. :*'Master' - Head chef of the Kurogane House. Though he never speaks, his cooking skills are said to be the best in the world. He is a master swordsman who has shown extraordinary skills with a blade by slicing a fish into sashimi pieces in a moment and then letting the fish swim in the water still alive despite having its head and bones remaining. In battle, he easily strikes down members of the Ashura Corps attempting to kill the Kabutos. :*'Yasu' - Working as the House's bath attendant, he is an expert in the use of bombs and grenades. If need be, Yasu will blow himself up using the bomb planted in his own body to protect Tsubasa and the Kabutos. :*'Django' – Described by Inspector Ankokuji as a "weird Mexican looking guy" (thanks to his appearance of wearing a poncho), Django's role is to attract tourists to the Kurogane House on the outskirts of Atami, as well as recruiting new members to the staff. He is an expert marksman, having an array of guns, rifles, and special ammunitions, and shooting down his targets with pinpoint accuracy. :*'Kikunosuke' - The Head Waitress of the Kurogane House. Also called "Sister Kiku" by the staff and even Tsubasa herself. Despite her small stature and old age, she is the most feared member of all the Kurogane staff. In battle, she moves at superhuman speed that surpassses even Sensei's and fights with a thin metal thread used to bond and/or slice off her opponents. Her character and choice of weapon is loosely based on the characters from the Abashiri Family. *'Dr. Schtroheim Heinrich' (Iemasa Kayumi) - A cyborg and former collaborator of Doctor Hell, he is shown with his robot daughter Lorelai while talking to Nishikiyori Tsubasa in the first episode. Schtroheim is one of the three great robot engineers in all of Japan (the other two being Juzo Kabuto and his son, Kenzo). Like Tsubasa, Heinrich too has knowledge about the legend of the Mycenaeans. In both Shin Mazinger and in the original series, Schtroheim is a direct rival of Juzo and is determined to surpass the creator of Mazinger Z by any means. *'Lorelei Heinrich' - Dr. Heinrich's daughter and Shiro's love interest. She is an android who can fuse with Schtroheim's other creation, the giant robot Donau Alpha 1, and battles Mazinger Z in order to fulfill her father's dream of surpassing Juzo to become the greatest robot engineer of all. *'Gamia Q' - A series of female robot dolls serving under Baron Ashura, who regards them as his/her 'daughters'. They were created for the sole purpose of assassinating Koji Kabuto and Tsubasa Nishikiori. In the pilot, the third robot in the series, Gamia Q3, fights alongside Inspector Ankokuji, who he refers to her as his "honey". The Gamia Q series also appear in Episode 3 in Mazinkaiser in a similar role, attacking first Boss who claims himself to be Koji Kabuto, and later attacked and destroyed by Koji himself with the help of his Kaiser Pilder. *'Kenzo Kabuto' - The son of Juzo Kabuto and father of Koji and Shiro Kabuto. In the original series, Kenzo and his wife are believed to have been killed in an accident involving the construction of Mazinger Z. In reality, Kenzo survived and later built Great Mazinger in secret, without the knowledge of his sons. In Shin Mazinger, he appears in the pilot to greet a shocked Tsubasa, who later attacks him in a fit of rage. *'Zeus' - The legendary Greek God. In Shin Mazinger, he is revealed to be a commanding officer of an extraterrestrial army using the Earth as a strategic point in battle against an unknown enemy. He is said to be the cause of the fall of the Mycenaean Civilization when he defied the order of his superior, Uranus, and battled his own men to defend the Mycenaean people. He is also called "Z Mazinger", a name Juzo later used as the inspiration for the creation and naming of his robot, Mazinger Z. He is based on the character Zeus, who appears in the Z Mazinger manga. Zeus's appearance is used as a metaphor to describe Mazinger Z as a god if used to save the Earth. *'Lori and Loru' - Twins who are pilots of the Million α (Alpha). The twins are supporting characters in Shin Mazinger as members of the Mazinger Army who are seen killed in battle in the pilot episode. In the MazinKaiser OAV series, the twins first appear as assistants to Prof. Yumi and the objects of affection by Koji, Shiro and Boss due to their busty physiques, much to the annoyance of Sayaka. The two later met a similar fate during battle against the armies of Ankoku Daishogun. *'Shun Azuma' - Pilot of the Baion β (Beta). He is one of the members of the Mazinger Army killed in battle in the pilot. He shares a similar fate in MazinKaiser. *'Masao Ooide' - Pilot of the Daion γ (Gamma). He is one of the members of the Mazinger Army killed in battle in the pilot and also shares a similar fate along with Shun and the twins Lori & Loru in MazinKaiser. *'Nossori, Sewashi, and Morimori' - The 3 Professors who are colleagues of Prof. Yumi. In the original series, they helped build the Diana A and Boss Borot. In Shin Mazinger, the 3 Professors were the ones who designed the robots for the Mazinger Army and as such serve as the superiors to the group. The 3 Professors also worked under Tsubasa and designed the Jet Scrander for Mazinger Z to use for aerial combat. The three are also shown having a liking to Kikunosuke of the Kurogane Five. *'Kedora' - A Mycenaean soldier in the form of an alien creature. In the pilot, Kedora desribes itself as a being made to destroy other civilizations and manages to take control of Mazinger Z. Kedora is based on a character taken from a Mazinger Z short story by the late Ken Ishikawa. *'Mao Dante' - The demon from the series of the same name. Though not directly involved in the story, Mao Dante's form emerges enveloping Mazinger Z whenever it is out of control, emphasizing the metaphor of Mazinger Z becoming a devil when used to destroy because of its power. *'Tetsuya Tsurugi' – A shadowy figure who appears in the pilot killing Viscount Pygman. He is believed to be Tetsuya Tsurugi, the pilot of Great Mazinger, as the silhouette of the said robot appeared behind him in the background. Mecha *'Mazinger Z' - The giant robot designed by Juzo Kabuto to counter Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beast army. It was created using both the technology of the Mycenaeans found in Bardos Island, and "Japanium", an ore Juzo and his assistant Yannosuke Yumi discovered as a powerful energy source when refined into what is called "Photon Energy". Mazinger Z is outfitted with two critical components made from Japanium Ore - the first is "Chōgokin Z" (超合金 Z, meaning Super Alloy Z), the armor plating of Mazinger Z that is almost impenetrable by any weapon. The second is the "Photon Engine", used to power Mazinger Z and its weaponry through the release of Photon Energy. Because of its immense power, Juzo believes Mazinger Z's power can turn its pilot into a god or a devil. Regardless, he entrusts Mazinger Z in the hands of his grandson Koji. Although Juzo built Mazinger Z to be virtually invincible, it is not without a few weaknesses, such the inability to fly and trouble maneuvering in the water because of the robot's weight. Many of Mazinger Z's weapons are also less effective when used in the water. According to mecha designer Tsuyoshi Nonaka, Mazinger Z's design in Shin Mazinger is based on the one made by the late Ken Ishikawa in a Mazinger Z short story "The Legacy of the Mikene" from the "Super Robot Wars Comic Anthology". List of Mazinger Z's armaments include: :*'Rocket Punch' - One or both of Mazinger Z's fists are launched to hit its opponent before returning to re-attach itself. The force of impact of the Rocket Punch can either knock back the target or pierce a hole through. :*'Rust Hurricane' - Gusts of wind emitting from the mouth of Mazinger Z. It's capable of turning whatever it touches into rust in seconds, as the name applies. :*'Breast Fire' - Large beams of red light are fired from the red chest plates of Mazinger Z. The beams carry extreme heat that can melt its target. :*'Photon Beam' - Twin beams of light fired from the eyes of Mazinger Z. The power of the Photon Beam can be adjusted from firing at a high speed velocity in its lowest setting, or at maximum power for massive damage. :*'Big Bang Punch' - Mazinger Z is transformed into a giant fist after combining with the God Scrander. The fist then glows itself around via the Photon Energy and flying at great speeds, destroying anything in its path. Mazinger Z's strongest attack. *'Hover Pilder' - A jet powered hovercraft created by Juzo. The Hover Pilder is made to dock into the crown of Mazinger Z for its pilot to assume control of the robot. The controls of the Hover Pilder are designed in such a manner that to is almost similar to riding a motorcycle, allowing Koji, a motorcycle driver himself, to easily control the Hover Pilder, and later Mazinger Z. *'Jet Scrander' - A winged, jet powered backpack created by the 3 Professors to solve Mazinger Z's weaknesses of being incapable of flight as well as providing easier maneuverability in the water. In the original series, the Jet Scrander was built with Super Alloy Z to provide additional armor to Mazinger Z, as well as being able to cut through opponents using the Jet Scrander's wings. In Shin Mazinger, the Jet Scrander is built from weaker materials, making it easily vulnerable. *'God Scrander' - A new jet powered backpack for Mazinger Z seen in the pilot episode. When combined, Mazinger Z can fly at a much faster rate as well as having the ability to transform into a giant fist to execute its strongest attack - the Big Bang Punch. *'Aphrodite A' - Sayaka Yumi's personal robot. Built using a lesser grade of Super Alloy Z (Gokin (合金) Z) and a lesser grade Photon Engine. The Aphrodai A is primarily a close quarters combat unit and its only ranged armament are the missles located in the breasts. *'Venus A' - The robot Sayaka uses in the pilot. This robot is capable of flight and can fire electric beams from its head in addition to the missiles from the breasts. This is the same unit Sayaka piloted MazinKaiser. *'Boss Borot' - The robot of Boss, Nuke, and Mucha built using only scrap metal. In the pilot episode, the Boss Borot is seen grabbing a missile fired by Baron Ashura to the Kurogane House and throws it in mid-air. *'Million α (Alpha)' - A robot piloted by the twins Lori & Loru. Capable of providing quick repairs to a damaged unit in battle. It is destroyed in the pilot after being crushed and later exploded. *'Baion β (Beta)' - Personal robot of Shun Azuma. Destroyed by being sliced into two in the pilot. *'Daion γ (Gamma)' - Masao Ooide's robot. Seen hit a large drill shoved on the back, destroying the unit and its pilot. Mechanical Beasts The Mechanical Beasts or "Kikaiju" (機械獣) are giant robots created by Dr. Hell using the technology of the Mycenaean Civilization found in Bardos Island. Many of these robots were featured in the original Mazinger Z TV series while a number of them appear in other works of Go Nagai. The following is a list of Mechanical Beasts in Shin Mazinger by order of their appearance. *'Baron Ashura' - Baron Ashura's personal unit built in its likeness. Ashura rides on top of the robot's palm as it lays an all-out assault on Atami in the pilot episode, engaging in combat against Tsubasa and the members of the Kurogane House. Appeared in the pilot. *'Brocken V2 Schneider' - Count Brocken's own Mechanical Beast. Like the Jetfire P1, the V2 Schneider was designed in Count Brocken's likeness. Brocken rides it when Koji breaches through the Guul using Mazinger Z's Big Bang Punch and confronts him. Appeared in the pilot. *'Taurus' - Stone robots seen in Episode 2 attacking Koji and Shiro. They were destroyed by Mazinger Z and Aphrodai A. However, the Taurus robots were merely shells to hide the real Mechanical Beasts. Appeared in Episode 2. *'Garada K7' - The first Mechanical Beast Koji encounters. Garada K7 has a skull as its head with two large scythes attached to the sides. The scythes can be used in close combat or thrown like a boomerang. In Shin Mazinger, Garada K7 also has an additional energy powered lasso that can bind its opponent. Appeared in Episode 3. *'Doublas M2' - The second Mechanical Beast Koji encounters. It is green colored and having two snake like heads that can shoot laser beams. It's legs contans spikes that can spin to keep any unit from attacking that area. Appeared in Episode 3. *'Groizer-X10' - The third Mechanical Beast Koji faces and the first battle against an aerial Mechanical Beast under Count Brocken. The Groizer-X is an aerial bomber unit and as such, is armed bombs from its wings. It can transform itself as well into a bomb to cause an even greater explosion when detonated. To assure the bombing is successful, the Groizer-X is more heavily armored than other Mechanical Beasts. Line arts for the Groizer-X suggests it can also transform into robot mode for land combat. The Groizer-X is based on the mecha from the anime of the same name. The '10' at the end of its name means that it is part of a series of units (similar to Gamia Q) as evidenced in a later episode where 3 Groizer-X units were sortied. Groizer-X10 appeared in Episode 5, while Groizer-X9, 11, and 12 appear in Episode 12. *'Nonakargo H2' - An original Mechanical Beast by mecha designer Tsuyoshi Nonaka. Appeared in Episode 6. A giant robot its a face covering its entire body. It releases a wave of electricity to immobilize any unit and was used to prevent the Pilder from docking into Mazinger Z. It's mouth-like torso is used to store its captors as evidenced by capturing the Aphrodai A in battle. *'Stronger T4' - One of the three Mechanical Beasts briefly appearing in Episode 9. It is a Mechanical Beast with a large fan on its torso and tentacles for the arms. Destroyed via the Rust Hurricane. Stronger also appeared in MazinKaiser briefly where it was destroyed by the Double Burning Fire attack from Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger. *'Brighton J2' - One of the three Mechanical Beasts briefly appearing in Episode 9. It's distinctive feature are its ears shaped like bat wings. Detroyed by the Rocket Punch. *'Brudon' - One of the three Mechanical Beasts briefly appearing in Episode 9. Has a drill on its forehead, twin buzzsaws on its shoulders. And can shoot its fists with chains attacked. Destroyed by Mazinger Z's Breast Fire. Anime episodes *1. 大団円 (Grand Finale) *2. 始動! マジンガー! (Awaken! Mazinger !) *3. 出撃! あしゅら軍団! (Sortie! Ashura Corps!) *4. 激突! 機械獣vsマジンガー! (Clash! Kikaiju vs Mazinger!) *5. 強襲！ブロッケン伯爵 (Assault! Count Brocken) *6. 発射！光子力ビーム!!(Fire! Photonic Beam!!) *7. 伝説！バードス島の機械獣！(Legend! The Mechanical Beasts Of Bardos!) *8. 誕生！あしゅら男爵！(Birth! Baron Ashura) *9. 発動！日本侵略作戦！(Commence! The Japan Invasion Operation!) *10. 鉄壁！くろがね五人衆！ )Impregnable! The Kurogane Five!) *11. 挟撃！機械獣大作戦！(Pincer movement! Mechanical Beasts big strategy!) *12. 脱出！海底要塞サルード！(Escape! Undersea Fortress Saluud!) *13. 初恋？美少女ローレライ！(First love? Beautiful Girl Lorelai!) *14. 慙愧！暴かれる兜家の大罪！(Shame! The grave sin of the Kabuto family exposed!) *15. 対決！悲しみの青きドナウ！ (Confrontation! The sorrowful blue Donau!) *16. 発掘！戦闘頭脳ケドラ！(Exhumation! Battle brain Kedora!) *17. 共闘！危険な過去への旅！(Joint struggle! Travel to the dangerous past!) *18. 消滅！ミケーネ最後の日！(Disappearance! Mycenae's last day!) *19. 遺恨!くろがね屋の一番長い日（前編）(Grudge! Kurogane House's longest day (first part)) *20. 遺恨！くろがね屋の一番長い日 中編 (Grudge! The longest Day of the Kurogane House (Middle Part)) *21. 遺恨！くろがね屋の一番長い日 後編 (Grudge! The longest Day of the Kurogane House (Last Part)) *22. 夢幻！眠れる繭のあしゅら！(Dreams! Asura Sleeping Inside a Cocoon) *23. 接近！機械獣あしゅら男爵！(Getting Closer! Machine Beast Baron Asura!) *24. 死線！総攻撃Dr.ヘル (Verge of Death! All-out Attack Dr. Hell) *25. 逆転！バードスの落日！(Reversal! Setting Sun of Bardos!) *26. 決着！ロケットパンチ百連発！(Conclusion! The Hundred Barrage Rocket Punch!) External links *[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=10653 Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen] at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia. *[http://www.shin-mazinger.com/ Shin Mazinger Shougeki! Z Hen] Official site (Japanese). Category:Mecha works Category:Anime Category:2009 works Category:TV Shows